Ballet Theatre Of Maryland Prepares For 40th Season

The Ballet Theatre of Maryland starts its season in October with the premiere of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” and throughout the season, it will celebrate its 40th anniversary.

The ballet will also perform some shows picked by the audience. “It’s nice to see what the audience wants to see, and hopefully, that can draw more people in,” said Dianna Cuatto, artistic director and choreographer.

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will premiere on October 12 at 7:30pm and continue through October 14, having a total of three shows throughout the weekend.

The theater will have a grand opening after the first show on October 12. The audience can also purchase VIP packages with tickets that will give them an opportunity to meet and greet some of the dancers.

The next show, slated for December, is “The Nutcracker.” This is the theater’s 15th telling of the story, but Cuatto said she always changes bits and pieces to make it “special.”

In addition to the full-time professional dancers, “The Nutcracker” will consist of six to 18 student performers.

“The Nutcracker” will run at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts in Annapolis on December 8-9 and on December 15-16.

From February 22 through 24, the Ballet Theatre of Maryland will premiere its version of “Snow White.” The production was created for the theater’s 40th anniversary and voted for by the audience.

“Preparing for [‘Snow White’] has been a lot of work, but I feel pretty good about it,” Cuatto said. “There are some extra elements in the show and [it] has a surprising twist, but it still sticks to its family values and Disney element.”

The last show in the season is “Innovations 2019,” featuring composer Stravinsky’s fairytale “The Firebird.” The ballet will also present new work by New York composer Kevin Keller.

After the last show on April 27, there will be a 40th anniversary grand season finale.

“I am excited to see how the dancers will interpret my work; it’s always different,” Cuatto said. “I also can’t wait to see how the audience response to the different works, especially ‘Snow White.’”

Throughout the season, several events will celebrate Ballet Theatre of Maryland’s 40th season. A gala will be held in March, followed by a garden party in October and a sugar plum fairy party in December.

Cuatto said it is a “miracle” that the Ballet Theatre of Maryland has been around for 40 years. When she first started 16 years ago, there were only six professional dancers and one apprentice. Now, there are 14 full dancers, 12 apprentices and six demi-soloists.

“It is continuing to grow, and now we have dancers from different parts of the world and the United States,” Cuatto said.

She hopes to continue to promote family values and positive body image. “I feel that we have a healthy range of dancers of different sizes,” Cuatto said. “We really focus on a healthy body aesthetic and healthy body types, making sure the dancer’s health comes first above everything.”